Illegal Immigration’s “Unforeseen Consequences” Only Missed By Left

The left and other advocates of open borders have called the current invasion of our southern border area an “unforeseen consequence” of past immigration policies, notably the Democrat’s proposal of the so-called “Dream Act” and changes to policy towards unaccompanied minors enacted during the administration of President George W. Bush.

Karen Tumulty and David Nakamura writing for The Washington Post remind us that “A 2008 anti-trafficking law that passed Congress nearly unanimously and was signed by President George W. Bush gave new protections to children who were not from neighboring Canada or Mexico, stipulating that their asylum requests be fully adjudicated if they were picked up for being in the country illegally.”

Tumulty and Nakamura report that “Administration officials say smugglers have exploited that statute and the long judicial processes that resulted from it, persuading Central American parents to risk sending their children on a dangerous journey to the United States in hopes that they would be able to stay permanently.”

Obama himself sent a signal that the borders were open to younger immigrants when he issued his 2012 executive order invoking “prosecutorial discretion” not to deport those who might have been covered by the “Dream Act” that Congress refused to pass.

As far back as May 2012, say Tumulty and Nakamura, Texas Gov. Rick Perry warned Obama in a letter that “there is a surge of unaccompanied illegal minors entering the United States. Apart from being part of an obvious humanitarian crisis, these unaccompanied illegal minors have left the federal government scrambling to triage the results of its failed border security and immigration policies.” (Read the letter, courtesy of The Washington Post,through this link.)

Two years later, observed Nakamura in his article “Before border crisis peaked, Texas governor warned Obama administration” Perry’s letter appears prescient. “The number of unaccompanied children at the border, which was 5,200 in 2012, has shot up to more than 52,000 this year — and it could reach 90,000 by the end of September, according to internal Border Patrol estimates.”

Now the White House has declared it is unable to handle the influx without more money, asking Congress for $3.7 billion in emergency funding.

The money would go to several federal agencies: $1.6 billion to the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security; $1.8 billion to Health and Human Services; and $300 million to the State Department, administration officials said.

This more or less doubles the number administration officials were talking about just a day or two ago and to us smells suspiciously like something out of the old Rahm Emanuel “You don’t ever want a crisis to go to waste…” playbook.

The request includes $1.8 billion for the Health and Human Services Department to provide “appropriate care” for the children, who are mostly coming from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

It also includes $1.1 billion for the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The funding would help expand border security task forces AND help pay for transportation costs associated with the rise in unaccompanied children.

In other words, without clear direction from Congress it gives Obama more money to disperse illegal aliens across the interior of the United States.

While the left and open borders Republicans seem bewildered by the surge in illegal aliens toward our southern border, we see simple economics and human psychology at work; if you reward a behavior you will get more of it.

And a free pass to American citizenship, an American taxpayer-funded education and healthcare and all the privileges and benefits of living in this country legally are about the biggest incentive for coming here illegally that you could offer to people living in Central America, China and other major sources of illegal border crossers. The only way to end this invasion is to reestablish American sovereignty with a secure border and a vigorous interior enforcement and deportation program.

2016 GOP STRAW POLL

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, a leading conservative presidential candidate, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell lied to him about bringing back the expired Export-Import Bank: “…We now know that when the majority leader looks us in the eyes and makes an explicit commitment that he is willing to say things that he knows are false…” said Cruz of McConnell. Cruz has now been taken to task by Senators Orrin Hatch, Lamar Alexander and John Cornyn, who accused him of violating Senate rules on "civility." What do you think about Cruz's comments?

Choices:

I agree with Ted Cruz, it is time to tell the truth about Mitch McConnell and his lies.

Cruz might be right, but you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, he should learn to work with McConnell

Cruz was out of line; McConnell is the Majority Leader and is doing what he thinks is best for the majority.